Analysts Set Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) Target Price at $450.33

Shares of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $450.33.

GPI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $460.00 price objective on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Group 1 Automotive from $495.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th.

Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of GPI opened at $399.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.86 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The business’s 50 day moving average is $439.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $414.24. Group 1 Automotive has a 52-week low of $262.31 and a 52-week high of $490.09.

Group 1 Automotive (NYSE:GPI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $10.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.77 by $1.25. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 18.09%. Analysts forecast that Group 1 Automotive will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Group 1 Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This is an increase from Group 1 Automotive’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.50%. Group 1 Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.44%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GPI. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 133.0% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 407,930 shares of the company’s stock worth $156,253,000 after purchasing an additional 232,846 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Group 1 Automotive in the fourth quarter worth about $65,721,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in Group 1 Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,119,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 111.1% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 161,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,949,000 after buying an additional 84,832 shares during the period. Finally, Advent International L.P. raised its position in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 65.7% during the 4th quarter. Advent International L.P. now owns 203,951 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,961,000 after buying an additional 80,870 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.92% of the company’s stock.

Group 1 Automotive Company Profile

Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts, as well as service and insurance contracts; arranges related vehicle financing; and offers automotive maintenance and repair services.